Peralea Overview

The God Jars Saga happens only on the continent of Peralea. If I write in this world again, I may place the stories back on this continent, or create a larger world map. It all depends.

The red line indicates the route Valis and his escorts traveled near the middle of the book Saviors. The main reasoning for this route were water sources, town locations for food, and time constraints.

Calendar System

Basically, each week has ten days that are named after the gods.

Holidays and Holy Days

Months

Earth Month	Peralea Month
January	Devotion
February	Compassion
March	Sacrifice
April	Protection
May	Ambition
June	Temperance
July	Suffering
August	Loyalty
September	Spirituality
October	Mobility
November	Solidarity
December	Peace

Days of the Week

Earth Weekday	God's Day	Peralea Weekday Equivalent
Sunday	Phaerith's Day	Phaeride
Monday	Vorik's Day	Voride
Tuesday	Racal's Day	Racide
Wednesday	Dapen's Day	Dapenide
Thursday	Asenth's Day	Asenide
Friday	Delys's Day	Delyside
Saturday	Karei's Day	Kareide
8th Day	Sotec's Day	Soteide
9th Day	Xysoz's Day	Xysoide
10th Day	Qos's Day	Qovide
Day of Rest	Rest Day	Masetide

There are three weeks per month. Months with 31 days get one filler day at the end of the month. This is usually a religious holiday, meant for meditation, festivals, or frivolity. Every four years, the first month (Devotion) gets a 31st day as a Leap Year, and Masetide is always celebrated with a feast. Masetide, while not associated with any god directly, gets its name from the local clay, Masminsa, which was used to fashion the ten God Jars.

Holidays

• Ambition 21st- New Year's Day

• Temperance 21st-25th- Summer Festival

• Suffering 21st- Ascension Day (Phaerith)

• Spirituality 30th (Qovide)- Autumn celebration on a Qovide to ward off Qos' evil taint.

• Peace 21st- Winter Solstice

• Peace 21st-31st- Winter Festival

• Birth Anniversaries- Birthdays. Always celebrated with friends and loved ones. Small, personal gifts are encouraged. The ritual, however, goes beyond friends and loved ones, as everyone who knows of the person's birth anniversary will kiss the celebrant (usually on the forehead, temple, or, more rarely, on the cheek), and speak the refrain, “Blessed is the day you were born, and blessed are we to be your brothers and sisters.” However, it has been shortened over the years to just, “Blessed is the day you were born.”

Days of Rest

• Masetide- Off day for meditation. Guards can choose who rotates these days to keep the country safe.

• Kareide and Soteide- Days of Peace

Every four years, Devotion has a 31st day. This is their version of leap year and is usually a day of rest or frivolity.

I even made a handy calendar! Because, quite frankly, I love my procrastination. No, this is not pretty, but it is functional and it was fun as crap. Have a look.

The Calendar

Gods List

1. Phaerith: Violet: Head. God of many faces/aspects. God of compassion, community, focus, mentality, higher thought.

2. Qos: Blue: Used to be the “Neck” or Phaerith's support. God of suffering, disability, medicine, free will, control, and instinct.

3. Karei: White: Left Shoulder. Goddess of Peace and dreams.

4. Vorik: Carmine: Right Shoulder. God of War.

5. Sotec: Silver: Left Arm- Cultivator of Peace. Carries out Karei's will.

6. Xysoz: Vermilion: Right Arm- Harbinger of War. Carries out Vorik's will.

7. Asenth: Green: Chest- God of the heart, love and family.

8. Delys: Yellow: Abdomen- Goddess of fertility and harvest.

9. Dapen: Indigo: Left Leg- Goddess of mobility, direction and journey.

10. Racal: Black: Right Leg- God of speed, protector of the lost, leader of the Way.

Phaerith is the many aspect god. Most known throughout the world, just under different names. Qos was Phaerith's support. Karei and Vorik were their guards (gods of war and peace). Sotec and Xysoz carried out Karei and Vorik's will (kinda like angels). Asenth is the heart, god of love and family, while Delys was the god of fertility and harvest. Dapen and Racal are the gods of mobility, direction, and journey.

Phaerith was once a powerful mage, and a holy man who was sacrificed to ancient (not real) gods for favor. His body was cut up into pieces, incinerated, and stored in clay jars, and his soul shattered into 10 pieces, with Qos bearing the evil taint that all humans possess to some varying degree.

Qos wasn't always bad. While he had the seed of corruption, the rest of the gods' presences kept it in check. When his jar was stolen and tampered with, the corruption overwhelmed him and he broke away from the pantheon to seduce his followers for his own agenda. This is how the Aesriphos came into being. They are the ones tasked with finding the jar, cleansing it, and bringing it back to the monastery.

The monastery has those jars somewhere on the premises, and be the reason Cadoras and the monastery are more powerful than the country's monarchy.

Places of Note

Cities

• Cadoras- Holy City in the center of the continent of Peralea. Houses the monastery of Avristin.

• Banen- City just south of Cadoras dock where Tavros and Aryn are from.

• Vau Taun- In the country of Evakis, where Valis, Roba, and Rygas are from.

• Doyer- City in Arlvor where Aenali and Jedai are from.

• Tigak- City in Urkori where Valis and his friends battle a horde of Qos followers.

Countries

• Lyvea- The country where Valis and his friends find the caravan.

• Arlvor- The country where Cadoras is located.

• Plorvas- Fishing country on the central southern shore of Peralea.

• Noldwor- Country where the mercenaries are originally from. They moved to Plorvas for the greater employment opportunities.

• Urkori- Country just south of Arlvor. Valis and his friends had to travel through Urkori to reach Lyvea.

Continents

• Peralea- The continent where the entire God Jars Saga takes place.

• Loron- Across the sea. The country Kalutaken is where Zhasina is from, and it's on Loron's southern shores.

Glossary of Terms

Aesriphos- A man or woman who has achieved Ezhav and joined the Order of Aesriphos. An Aesriphos is a Holy Warrior Priest with magical capabilities who are the elite force tasked with recovering the lost God Jar of Qos, and protecting the reliquary and monastery from Qos' forces.

Ezhav- A holy union that only aspiring Aesriphos can achieve. It only happens between same sex couples, and always leads to an official marriage. This connection is so strong that it makes the bonded pair fearsome in battle, because they will do ANYTHING to protect their mate. Ezhav is a prerequisite for the couple to advance from Aesriphos Aspirant to Aesriphos Valiant so they may take their vows as priests of the Order, and become holy Aesriphos.

Curse Words Explained

Just for shits and giggles, I thought it best to give this topic a little coverage.

In The God Jars Saga, you may notice that in a medieval-esque setting, the characters use modern curse words and some modern-y slang. There's really an easy explanation for this. And no, it wasn't because I got lazy.

In the stories, the characters are either speaking Evaki, Arlvorian, or another language. Just because it's English on the page so you can read it, doesn't mean they're speaking modern English. So, instead of creating endless nonsense words for curse words and slang, I inserted the modern equivalent of what they would be saying in their own language. No sense in using Arlvorian curse words when I'm not having them speak the rest of their thoughts in English, yeah? If I did that, I'd have to create yet more for each of the other languages they speak throughout the series.

And yes, I am a lazy, lazy bitch. I'm not even sorry.

Hierarchy of the Priesthood

Normal Priests

• August Patriarch/Matriarch (This position is only known by a very select few.)

• Lord-Priest Devout (Retired SP)

• Sovereign Priest (Kyris Yavih)

• High Priest

• Patron/Matron Priest

• Priest

• Priest Initiate

Aesriphos

• Grand Master Aesriphos (Gold gilding)

• Master Aesriphos (Blue and white enamel with Phaerith's star in gold)

• Aesriphos Commander (Blue enamel design and Phaerith's star in white enamel)

• Reliquary Guard [Guards the reliquary of the temple. More than 350 years of service.] (Blue enamel decoration with all gods' symbols in white enamel with gold accents.)

• Cardinal Aesriphos [More than 200 years of service.] (Blue enamel decoration with Phaerith's symbol also in blue enamel.)

• Aesriphos [More than 50 years of service.] (Blue enamel decoration)

• Aesriphos Valiant [Just entered Ezhav] (No decoration)

• Aspirant (Not used often, mostly assumed)

Note: Armor gilding and decoration are only for ceremonial use.

The Tenets of Aesriphos

Spirituality, Loyalty, Sacrifice, Fraternity, Compassion, and Control

Excerpt from Saviors:

Spirituality includes obeying Phaerith when he asks something of you. You are to commune daily with him when you are able. Loyalty means you protect your Brothers and Sisters, and do your duties to the best of your ability. Compassion is for others, as well as yourself, and your enemies. Control means you are in control of yourself, your actions, and your circumstances at all times. Fraternity means we are not allowed to have families outside of our Order. It is not chastity, but we are not allowed to procreate. For sacrifice, your life is forfeit, Valis. If a situation calls for you to lay down your life to save a layman or your Brother, you don't hesitate.

Note: Aesriphos are not allowed to procreate because they are in the most danger, and leaving children for months or years at a time is considered child abuse, especially with the likelihood that any orders an Aesriphos may receive could be their last.

Normal priests who remain in the monastery are allowed to procreate and have families. Other warriors and mages who have at least one parent remaining in safety may grow their families as they wish.

Darolen’s Song

The Journey

The journey is tough, my son.
The road is long.
In all your years of living,
you still are so young.
Pack your bags light, dear child.
Say your goodbyes.
Ahead are endless fields,
and countless blue skies.
I know not how long you will be.
I know not how far.
But take with you, sweet child,
this sword and my heart.

The journey is tough, my son,
with adventure and pain.
May all of your droughts
be followed by rain.
Keep me in your mind, dear child.
Do not go astray.
Remember my love for you.
Let it bolster your way.
I know not where or why you go.
I know not the way.
But take with you, sweet child,
the Gods' will and pray.

Into the darkness, my son,
you will lose your light.
Phaerith will guide you
if you but fight.
Scarred and battered,
your soul will be sore.
I cannot imagine
the grief of war.
I know not where to shine my light.
You must make your own.
But remember, sweet child,
it will guide you home.

Home may not be where I am.
It may be quite far.
Just know that I love you
just as you are.
So pack your bags light, dear child.
Say your goodbyes.
Ahead are endless fields,
and cloudless blue skies.
I know not how long you will be.
I know not how far.
But take with you, my son,
this sword and my heart.

Funerary Prayer

When someone dies, the proper rites include a funerary pyre to cremate the dead. If an Aesriphos is near, they will draw their sword and rest their forehead against the flat of the blade. They will then push their magic into the blade so it glows gold to shine down upon the deceased and speak the funerary prayer below.

May Phaerith grant our fallen brothers and sisters compassion, and rebirth them anew to live in His Light. May Karei and Sotec grant them endless peace in their everlasting dream. May Vorik and Xysoz defend their spirits with their savage might as they make their way Home. May Asenth and Delys cradle them, nurture and nourish them along their journey. And may Dapen and Racal speed them on their way. Blessed are our brothers and sisters, and blessed are we to carry your memories with us always.